Production of tufted fabrics



J. G. sAKELLARlDEs 2,016,909

-PRODUCTION OF TUFTED FABRICS Filed Feb. l25, 1935 Oct.l 8, 1935.

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gambo@ Jean (AS'akelZandes mbo/weg( I Patented Oct. 8, 1935 PRODUCTIONF. TUFTED FABRICS Jean Gregoriou Sakellarides, Athens, Greece, as-

signor to The Singer Manufacturing Company, 1 Elizabeth, N. J., acorporation of New Jersey 4Application February 25, 1933, Serial No.658,552

In Greece March 11, 1932 6 Claims.

This invention relates to the production of plush-like or Smyrna-likefabrics, particularly coverings such, for instance, as door-coverings,cushion-covers, Itable-covers and the like.

ri According to the invention, yarn is wound on a former or bar inmanner to form loops enchained along one edge of said former, whereuponthe 'chain is secured to a base or body fabric by machine stitchingalong said edge, and the former 10 is then withdrawn from the loopswhich are cut to form a row of tufts. Close to said row of tufts thereis then formed a second row and so on, whereby there is obtained atufted or pile fabric the tufts of which are close together, giving theappearance of a knotted Smyrna fabric.

For the production of patterned fabrics winding may be commencedwithyarn of one colour, there being formed as many loops as required for theproduction of tufts of this colour in the forl mation of the particularrow. Winding is then 'continued with yarn of another colour, and so on.'Ihe selection 4of colours may be determined by the operator, or a chartof the pattern maybe im- 35 the bar from the row of loops. t

One end of the bar may be formed as a handle, as by bending the bar.

In the accompanying drawing which illustrates the invention, Fig. 1shows the winding of the 40 yarn around a forming bar and the formationof the chain. Y

Fig. 2 shows a longer row of loops drawn to a smaller scale.

Fig. 3 represents a. body fabric partly provided 45 with tufts and thedisposition on the bar of loops ready to be cut to form a double row oftufts.

Fig. 4 shows a patterned fabric in course of formation.

Fig. 5 shows to a larger scale the attachment 50 of the tufts to a bodyfabric.

In practice, a woolen or other yarn, conveniently a loose twisted yarnsuch as is used for Smyrna knotted work, is wound around the bar a. Inthe interest of clearness the yarn is shown in the 55 drawing as beingsmooth.

' of tufts.

The winding of the yarn in loops around the bar may be effectedmanually.

As shown in Fig. 1, the yarn is led upwards over the front side of thebar a, down the back of the bar, and then from the back to the frontacross 5 ithe beginning portion of the upward lead, in manner to form ahalf-hitch such as d, so that after pulling the yarn tight and pushingtogether the single series of loops thus formed, there will be presenteda chain e of half-knots. In other 10 words the yarn strand progressesspirally about the former but the end-portion of each .'convolutioncrosses the beginning portion thereof in the characteristic manner of ahalf-hitch.

The winding operation may be otherwise efl5 fected depending on the formof chain of knots or half-knots to be obtained.

After the desired number of loops have been formed on the bar as shownin Fig. 2, the bar is laid on edge on the body fabric f, the end pro- 20vided With the cutting edge c being remote from the operator. The chainof half-knots is now stitched by means of a sewing machine to the bodyfabric. Conveniently the seam is started at the end of the bar remotefrom the handle b and continued toward the handle, whereupon, asrequired, a second or third tying seam may be formed, the chain beingstitched to the body fabric by one or more lines of stitches as at k. Onwithdrawing the bar the row of loops is cut by the knife c so that thereis formed-a double row i If the length of the bar is insuicient for thearea of the work, the bar is only partly withdrawn, and an additionalsupply of yarn is wound on the exposed part adjacent tothe handle b. Inthis/v case the winding, stitching and cutting operations are effectedin stages. A second row of double tufts is formed in similar manner, there-wound bar being disposed in a plane inclined to the body fabric withits edge closeto the first row so that the chain of half-knots ispresented to the machine needle. y

Fig. 4 shows the formation of a pattern g. The ends of the yarn of thepattern piece gare in dicated at i. The ends of the ground yarns areindicated at h. The free ends of the yarns can be cut off either aftercompletion of the stitching of each row of tufts, or may be cut to thelength of a tuft. l

Fig. 5 shows to a larger scale the fabric, the 50 chain e, the stitchingthreads lc and the tufts m.

It will be seen that by the invention there is produced av tufted fabriccomprising a base presenting adjoining rows of tufts located wholly onone side of said base, each double row of tufts comprising a seriesoi.'l U-shaped yarn sections,

the return bend of each section being stitched to said base, andoverlapping the return bend of an adjoining section on one side Yandoverlapped by the return bend of the adjacent section on the other side.

What I claim isz- 1. In the production of tufted fabrics, looping a yarn/strand around a flat former and enchaining the loops of said strandprogressively lengthwise land along one edge of said former, stitchingthe/chain Kto a base along and outside of said edge, then withdrawingthe former from the loops, and cutting the loops at a point remote yfromsaid edge.

v2. In the production of tufted fabrics, forming y a series ofhalf-hitches of yarn about a ilat former enchained along one edge ofsaid former. stitching the chain along said edge to a base fabric, thenwithdrawing the former. from the an adjoining section on one side andoverlapped by a return bend of the adjacent section on the other side,and a line of stitching securing the return bends of the yarn sectionsin overlapping relation with one another to said base. k

'about a flat former enchained along one edge 15 of .said former,securing the chain to a base by stitching jalong said edge, and lthenwithdrawing the former from the half-bitches.

6. In the production of tufted fabrics, Winding a yarn strand spirallyabout a former with the 20 end-portion of each convolution crossing thebe-` ginning portion thereof along one edge of the former to form achain of half-knots, securing the chain to a base by stitching alongsaid edge,

and then withdrawing the former.

J. G. SAKELLARIDES.

